


Manhandled

by ellay_gee



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: And a little crazy, Assassin's Festival, Gen, Hostage Situations, Whumptober 2020, and a bit full of himself, assfest, i like to think he is petulant, loqi being loqi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:28:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26851444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ellay_gee/pseuds/ellay_gee
Summary: When Noctis hides from the enemies, his best friend disappears
Comments: 7
Kudos: 35
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	Manhandled

Noctis was disgusted

Literally. 

All he’d wanted to do was have a little fun. 

And now? Now he’s sitting in a dumpster while Prompto clears the market place because Loqi decided to crash Assasin’s Fest with a bunch of MTs. 

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Right into a pile of trash.

_ Ew, are those beans?? _

* * *

When Noctis climbs out of the trash heap, there’s not a soul to be seen. “Prompto?” he calls quietly, but silence answers him.

“Shit.” He ducks into the nearest alley, climbing up stairs and ducking through another and weaving his way to the closest source of noise. He calls Ignis.

“Run into trouble already?” Ignis’s tone is half joking, half concerned when he picks up on the second ring. 

“Prompto’s missing,” Noctis breathes down the line, throat constricting upon admission. “We ran into some MTs and I hid in a dumpster--he was supposed to clear the area and distract them, get one close to me so I could take it down quietly, but it never happened. He--I...when I came out, there was no one, I don’t even know which direction they took him!”

The prince was close to panic, Ignis’s steady voice doing nothing to help. “Noctis, are you sure that he was taken? Are you sure he didn’t just get swept away in a crowd, or go into hiding somewhere nearby?”

“I’m sure Prompto wouldn’t just disappear like that!” he hisses into the phone as he pulls the hood of his costume up closer around his face. Now that he’s back in the crowd, he’s seeing random MTs patrolling around.

“Yes, well Gladiolus and I are near the tower in the main thoroughfare, meet us there and we’ll figure out what to do. And be careful.”

Noctis didn’t bother responding, only hung up the phone and ducked behind a taller festival-goer who was obviously three sheets to the wind. 

* * *

He found them tucked off in the shadows, just a little ways down from where another person was about to take the Leap of Faith. 

Gladio stood menacingly in front of Holly, Cindy and Ignis, who was staring down at his phone with frown.

“No word?” Noctis huffed as he came to a stop next to the advisor. 

“No, his phone is going directly to voicemail. I think we need to come up with a plan; sweep the city and see if we can suss out where they’re hiding him.”

“Uh, fellas?” Cindy said as she strode up next to Gladio, gripping him by the arm and pointing down the street in the direction of the gas station. “I have a feelin’ that we’re not gonna have to look very hard.”

The crowd in the thoroughfare was beginning to part as a procession of approximately fifty MTs headed toward the square where the Leap of Faith was located. Leading them was none other than Loqi, looking rather smug. Behind him was a struggling and cursing Prompto being frogmarched by a member of the Magitek infantry.

“Just me and you, pal!” the feisty blonde snapped as he was propelled forward, eyes burning holes in the back of Loqi’s head. “What’s the matter, afraid I’ll kick your ass?!”

That seemed to strike a nerve and Loqi spun on his heel, striding back and in one swift movement drove his fist up into Prompto’s solar plexus, driving all the air out of his lungs and immediately buckling his knees. 

“We’ve gotta do something.” Noctis hissed, taking a few strides forward before Gladio stoped him with a hand to his chest. 

“Do what, Princess? Get him and probably a bunch of innocent bystanders killed? I don’t think so.” 

Noctis looked as if he would argue until Ignis spoke up. “We need to see how this plays out and plan our actions carefully. I’m concerned as well, but it wouldn’t do to rush in half-cocked.”

Lips set in a grim line, Noctis glared at his retainers before finally nodding along as the procession started up again and he and the other joined the natural flow of the crowd to see what Loqi was up to. 

* * *

Once they reached the square and had the crowd’s attention, Loqi “borrowed” a personal amplifier from a local huckster and fiddled with it until it crackled to life. 

“Do not be alarmed, festival goers, I do not wish to take up too much of your time!” He gestured to the MT holding Prompto, who brought him forward and kicked out the backs of his legs, forcing him to kneel in the light of a nearby lamp post. 

He already looked like he’d gone two rounds with an angry garula, and the bruises and streaks of crimson on his tattered costume made Noctis’s blood boil. The only thing stopping him from warping forward was the end of the rifle currently dug into the back of Prompto’s head. 

“We have found one of four enemies of the empire who have infiltrated your good time. We only want to have the others turn themselves in and come quietly and then we’ll leave you to your revelry.” 

The air in the crowd grew tense, a sort of electricity running through it alongside a ripple of angry mutters. A few heartbeats go by and then a woman from the crowd yells: “The only enemies I see around here is you and your bunch of tin cans! Let the kid go!”

She was joined by a chorus of “yeahs” and some more colorful language. This did not please Loqi to say the least. He drew himself up, sputtering angrily as he turned a funny shade of pink.

“Show some respect to your betters! You have two minutes to produce the traitors, or I kill this one and shut this entire operation down!” Loqi stalked back to where Prompto was and kicked him in the chest hard enough to knock him back against the MT holding the gun while the crowd behind him hissed and booed and the other MTs closed rank around them. 

* * *

“Time’s up! Loqi announced to the crowd, self-assured and looking like an asshole. 

Silence greeted him. He stamped his foot, clearly unimpressed with the impassive crowd. At a gesture, the MT holding Prompto dragged him forward, dropping him unceremoniously at Loqi’s feet. He struggled to hands and knees, only for a swift kick in the ribs to send him to the ground again. 

“Looks like no one cares if you live or die, traitor!” He spat, aiming another kick that would never land.

Instead a voice from the crowd shouted: “I’m the one you’re looking for! I stand against the empire!”

But it wasn’t once of the royal retinue; just a random woman in the crowd. 

And she was joined by another voice and another until most everyone in the crowd was chanting “I stand against the empire!”

The crowd surged forward as one, Noctis and the others just a spot in the angry sea of cosplayers and video game enthusiasts and people just looking for a good time who were pissed the empire came to rain on their parade. 

Loqi quickly retreated, a small band of MTs following. He tried to take Prompto along with him, but the crowd was having none of that. He was swept up and maneuvered over to where the Cup Noodle truck sat, a few people staying behind to make sure he was ok. They were quick to join the crowd chasing the MTs and their commander down the street though, once Noctis and the others had come to claim their lost little chocobo. 

Noctis embraced Prompto as tightly as he dared, trying to be mindful of his hurts. Prompto hugged him back for a second, but then began pulling away, face scrunched up in disgust. 

“Bro, you  _ reek _ .” 

Noctis laughed, punching him lightly in the shoulder. “Well if that’s how you feel, next time you go missing I’ll be sure to take a shower before coming to rescue your ass.”

“I mean it’s only polite.”

* * *

Since this kerfuffle happened on the opening night of the festival, the boys actually got to enjoy the rest of it in peace (after a potion for Prompto and a nap for Noctis, that is).


End file.
